Burial vault



BURIAL VAULT Filed March 4, I939 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m m e fl n J 4 4 z 4 1 6 ,0, J 7 5% March 5, 1940. .1. A. PATTERSON 2,192,291

' BURIAL VAULT Filed March 4, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 /z I I 0- r ,5 WV

01066 95 .6. Paiiez'on. I 6 1 Patented Mar. 5, 1940 UNITED STATES BURIAL VAULT Joseph A. Patterson,

Brave, Pa., assignor of three-fourths to The Patterson Burial Vault Trust, Brave, Pa.

Application March 4,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a burial vault of the type for use in a grave for enclosing a coffin and it is one object of the invention to provide a vault including a base and a body for resting upon the base about a coffin, the base and body being both formed of concrete and having means associated therewith for excluding water and thus preventing water from seeping into the closed vault and accumulating therein about the coffin.

Another object of the invention is to so form the base and walls of the body of the vault that when the body is applied to the base in enclosing relation to a coifin resting upon the bed portion of the .base, the bed will be surrounded by asphalt and asphalt between the bed and margins of the base compressed by walls of the body or cover and caused to merge with a layer of asphalt embodied in the body. It will thus be seen that a sealed joint will be formed and, although water may penetrate outer portions of the body and portions of the base below the supporting bed for the cofiin,further inward seepage of water will be stopped and the interior of the vault maintained in a dry state.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for reinforcing the base and body or cover of the vault, which means are formed of concrete and, in addition, provide the base and body with hangers projecting therefrom for engagement with grapples of a hoist so that the heavy base and body may be safely lifted and lowered into a grave.

Another object of the invention is to so form and mount the hangers that they will be secured to the reinforcements and each other and strain evenly distributed throughout the baseand body I as they are lowered into the grave.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved vault showing the body orcover about to be set in place upon the base.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken vertically through the vault with a coffin enclosed therein.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of the reinforcement for the body and one of the hangers carried thereby.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the body about to be set in place upon the base.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 4, but showing a modified construction.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing the vault 1939, Serial No. 259,892

body of Fig. 5, in its fully lowered or closed position.

This improved vault consists of a base 1 formed of concrete and a body or cover 2 which is also formed of concrete and, when in position,

rests upon marginal portions of the base in enclosing relation to a 'cofiin 3 resting upon the transversely extending ribs 4 of a concrete bed 5 constituting an element of the base but formed separate therefrom. I

The base I has its under face formed with a recess 6 defining depending marginal portions 1 extending entirely about the base and in these marginal portions are embedded reinforcing rods orbars 8 and 8', which greatly strengthen the same and prevent cracking thereof. The base is also reinforced throughout its area by a woven wire reinforcement 9 which is curved downwardly through the marginal portions 7 and anchored to the bars 8. Pockets H! are formed in the upper face of the base to receive portions H of the layer of asphalt #2 with which the base is I covered, it being understood that the pockets are preferably a multiplicity of individual pockets spaced from each other throughout the area of the base, but may be intersecting grooves ex tending longitudinally and transversely of the base, if so desired. Hangers i3, of inverted U-shape formation and formed of heavy wire or light rod metal, are disposed at opposite sides of the base in spaced relation to each other 1ongitudinally thereof. These hangers have lower portions of their arms bent inwardly and termi- I hating in hooks M which engage about the bars 8 and firmly anchor the hangers to the reinforcing bars in' an upright position with their upper portions projecting upwardly from the base a sufiicient distance to overlap sidewalls of the body 2 of the vault, as shown in Fig. 2. These hangers are for engagement by grapples of a derrick employed as means for lifting the heavy concrete base and lowering it into a grave. The

hangers will also be made use of when lifting the finished base from the mould in which it is formed.

After the concrete base has set and the asphalt layer i2 has been applied thereto, the concrete bed 5, which is reinforced by an embedded wire reinforcement, is set in place upon the layer of asphalt and marginalv edges of the bed are covered with asphalt, as shown at it, and, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, upstanding ribs 1! are formed on the layer of asphalt about the base in spaced relation to the facing or light rod metal, as shown in Fig. 3.

I6 of the bed andmargins of the base, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings.

The body or cover 2 of the vault, which is also formed of moulded concrete, has inner and outer sections 18 and i9, reinforced by embedded interwoven wire reinforcements 20 and 2!. Between the sections it and 19 of the body is a layer 22 of asphalt, which covers the entire outer surface of the innersection l8 and constitutes a waterproof layer which will prevent water from seeping through the inner section, even if water should pass through the outer section l9. Lower edge portions of confronting faces of the inner and outer sections l8 and i9 diverge, as shown in Fig. 4, to form a channel or pocket 23 to receive the upstanding asphalt ribs ll of the base, and attention is called to the fact that the open mouth of the lower end of the pocket 23 is -somewhat wider than the width of the base of the ribs l'l so that when the body is applied to the base, the ribs may expand transversely in the pocket and completely fill the same while merging with the layer of asphalt 22, as shown in Fig. 2. The inner section 68 is also formed entirely about lower edges of its walls with a recess or channel M, and from an inspectionof Figs. 2 and i, it will be seen that when the body of the vault is lowered into place upon the base, the upper edge 25 of the pocket will engage the asphalt facing l6 and exert a cutting and scraping action which will displace portions of the asphalt and force the same downwardly and outwardly to fill the pocket 2 as shown at 26 in Fig. 2. A portion. of this displaced asphalt will also be forced outwardly to assist in filling the pockets 23. It will thus be seen that a thoroughly waterproof joint will be formed between the lower edge faces of the walls of the body 2 and marginal portions of the base and water will be prevented from working inwardly between the same as well as being prevented from reaching the bed 5 or the inner section !8 of the body and seeping through the same into the vault, in the event water seeps through the base of the outer section H! of the body.

The body of the vault is very heavy sinceit is formed of concrete, and in order to permit it to be lifted and lowered into place about the coffin 3, there have been provided hangers 21. These hangers are of an inverted U-shape formation and each is formed from a strand of heavy v i ifie e hangers 27 extend vertically in side walls of the body with their upper end portions protruding at opposite sides of the dome-shaped portion 28 thereof, and lower end portions of the arms of the hangers are bent laterally therefrom as shown at 29, to form base portions which terminate in books til engaged about strands of the wire reinforcement 2! of the outer section IQ of the body. The arms and base portions of the hangers are crimped, as shown at 35, to assist in holding the hangers in the concrete from which the bodyis formed, and in order to more evenly distribute strain when lifting the body with a derrick having grapples engaged in the protruding upper ends of the hangers, there have been provided tie rods or wires 32 which extend about the body, as indicated by dotted lines in'Fig. 1, with their ends terminating in hooks 33 engaged with certain of the crimps 3!.

When the improved vault is in use, the base I is lowered into a grave by a crane or other hoist engaged with the hangers l3 and set in place at the bottom of the grave, The cofiln is then low-- ered and brought to rest upon theribs 4 of the bed 5 of the base, after which the body or cover 2 is lifted by its hangers 21 and lowered into the grave until it comes to rest upon the projecting section of the body will thus be entirely sepa-' rated from the bed 4 and the inner section of the body. by asphalt and, consequently, water will be very effectively excluded from the interior of the vault. Therefore, the coffin resting upon the bed 4 and enclosed in the vaultv may not be damaged by water seeping through concrete from which the base and the two sections of the body are formed.

Instead of forming. thebody with a deep. and

upwardly tapered'pocket 23 to receive ribs H, thelower edge faces of walls of the two sections of the body may be shaped to define a shallow recess or pocket 34 which extends entirely about the body and has an arcuate upperlwall, as shown in Figs.

5 and 6. The surface 35 surroundingthe T channel or pocket 34 is in a somewhat higher plane than the surface 36 between the channel 36 and the channel 2 5. The asphalt'coating 12,-

instead of being formed with ribs I'L'has its marginal portions formed with a shallow channel '31, r

and when the body is set. in place upon thebase, the asphalt is displaced and subjected to pressure to fillthe channel 24 and also fill the channel 34,

as shown in Fig. 6, wherea portion of the asphalt has been shown projecting upwardlyinto the channel 34, as indicated at 38, andmerging into lower edge portions of the layer'of asphalt 22 to form a sealed waterproof joint between the base and the body or cover of the vault.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed isf 1 1. In a burial v over the base with its sides and ends spaced from the margins of the base, and'a cover for enclosing the cofin having a top and side and end walls resting upon the base about margins ofv said bed,

ult, a base, a bed associated with said base for supporting a coffin and disposed said cover having inner and outer sections and a layer of plastic water proof material between the same, and said base having a layer of plastic water proof material separating the base from the bed and extending outwardly from the bed under walls of the cover to margins :of thebase, a porcover to unite therewith and form a sealed watertight joint betwen the base and coverifor excluding water from the vault.

'tion of the plast'n: water proof material under I the walls of the cover merging with the plastic water proof material between the sections of the 7 2. In a burial vault, a base, a bed for supporting a coffin having its margins spaced from margins of the base, a layer of plastic water proof material between the base and the bed having portions covering edge faces of the bed and other portions extending about the bed and formed with upstanding ribs surrounding the bed in spaced relation thereto, and a cover for fitting about said bed consisting. of inner and outer sections and a layer of plastic water proof material between'said sections, the plastic water proof material covering edge faces of said bed forming a water tight joint between the bed and the con-' 4. In a burial vault, a base having its upper face fronting faces of walls of the cover, and lower edge portions of confronting faces of said sections being shaped to define a pocket for receiving said ribs and efiecting a watertight joint by merging of the ribs with the plastic water proof material between the sections.

3. In a burial vault, a concrete base, a concrete bed over said base for supporting a coffin, a layer of plastic water repelling material between the base and said bed extending outwardly between the bed and margins of said base with portions covering edge faces of the bed and other portions forming upstanding ribs spaced from margins of the base, and a cover for enclosing the bed and a cofiin thereon consisting of inner and outer sections and a layer of plastic water repelling material between the sections, confronting portions of said sections below the intervening asphalt defining pockets exposing the plastic water repelling material and adapted to receive said ribs and compress the ribs into merging engagement with the plastic water repelling material between the sections, and said inner section having its lower edge portion formed with a circumscribing pock-' et adapted to be filled with plastic Water repelling material scraped from asphalt covering side edges of the bed by the inner section when the cover is set in place about the bed.

pelling material between formed with pockets, a bed over said base for supporting a cofiin, a layer of plastic water rethe base and bed having anchoring portions filling said pockets, said plastic water repelling material having marginal portions extending from sides and ends or" the bed to margins of the base and being formed with portions covering edge faces of the bed and with upstanding ribs spaced from margins of the base, and a cover for enclosing a cofiin having a top and side and end Walls, said cover consisting of inner and outer sections and a layer of plastic water repelling material between the section s,

lower edge portions of the Walls of said sections having confronting faces beveled to form pockets for receiving said ribs and compressing the ribs to fill the pockets and merge with the layer of plastic water repelling material between the sections of the cover, the inner section having lower edge portions of its walls recessed to form a circumscribing pocket adapted to be filled with plastic water repelling material scraped from the plastic water repelling material covering edge faces of said bed by upper edges of the recesses as the cover is lowered into place.

JOSEPH A. PATTERSON. 

